I like to pack. Really. It soothes the inner organizational nut in me. When I prepare to travel, I start packing well in advance of any departure date. And when I say “well in advance”, I mean WELL. IN. ADVANCE. The process of packing is a way for me to stay in the moment and revel in the anticipation of the trip. It keeps me excited and looking forward to wherever I am going.
In one week, we depart for Europe. We will be gone for 18 weeks. Eighteen weeks! And I started packing 11 months ago. Overkill? I think not, though I am sure there are many out there who could have thrown things together in a couple of weeks, I am not one of them. In my defense, I am packing for both myself and my husband and daughter, so there is that.
But really, 18 weeks is a LONG time to be away from home. Without your stuff. You never know what you might need. Also, to make things extra hard on myself, when planning for this trip it was decided that we would only travel with carry-on luggage. We’re either crazy, or super smart. I will let you be the judge.
The Bag
First, I did a fair amount of research in trying to find the PERFECT bag. Although we aren’t backpacking, per se, I decided that a backpack would be best option for optimized mobility. It allows for hands-free transport that will likely be a benefit while trekking across multiple countries. It would automatically limit size and weight issues and force me to be discerning while making packing choices.
Next, I checked out the usual shopping and travel gear sites … L.L. Bean, Amazon, REI … and had settled on a couple of options that would suit our needs. And then I saw a Facebook post about a Kickstarter campaign for an innovative new travel bag. I had never funded a Kickstarter campaign and was a little apprehensive but I bit the bullet and did it … committing the funding for three Nomatic Travel bags to be delivered in January 2017. You can find more about the Nomatic brand, and specifically the travel bag, here.
Finally, the bags arrived and it was a matter of figuring out what essentials we should take. I came across a great travel blog that you can find here. Most of all I relied upon weather forecasts to determine my packing for our intended destinations during the time of year we will be visiting.
Then I got started with the list-making and the online shopping and this is what I came up with:
Keith:
- Light-weight down coat
- Hat
- Gloves
- 5 pairs of underwear
- 5 pairs of socks
- 5 shirts
- 1 pair of jeans
- 1 pair travel pants that convert to shorts
- 1 pair of durable, khaki denim pants
- 1 soft gray pullover sweater
- 1 fleece pullover
- Kindle
- Hiking boots
- flip flops
- pajamas
- reading glasses
- sunglasses
- travel stainless steel utensil set that includes fork, spoon, knife, chopsticks and straw
- ear plugs, neck pillow and eye mask
- iPhone
- swim trunks
- water bottle
Reece:
- Light-weight down coat
- Hat
- Gloves
- 5 pairs of underwear
- 5 pairs of socks
- 2 bras
- 3 tank tops
- 5 shirts
- 1 pair of jeans
- 2 pair travel pants, one in black and one in gray
- 2 pair black leggings
- 1 black cardigan sweater
- one scarf
- black dress
- 1 fleece pullover
- Computer
- Black running shoes
- black flats
- Birkenstocks
- pajamas
- sunglasses
- travel stainless steel utensil set that includes fork, spoon, knife, chopsticks and straw
- ear plugs, neck pillow and eye mask
- iPhone
- swim suit
- water bottle
- flute and music
- one set of workout clothes
Teresa:
- Light-weight down coat
- Baseball hat
- Gloves
- 5 pairs of underwear
- 5 pairs of socks
- 2 bras
- 3 tank tops
- 5 shirts
- 1 pair of jeans
- 2 pair travel pants, one in black and one in gray
- 1 pair black leggings
- 1 black cardigan sweater
- one scarf
- black dress
- 1 fleece pullover
- Kindle
- Computer
- Black running shoes
- black flip flops
- pajamas
- sunglasses
- reading glasses and regular glasses
- travel stainless steel utensil set that includes fork, spoon, knife, chopsticks and straw
- ear plugs, neck pillow and eye mask
- iPhone
- swim suit
- water bottle
- one set of workout clothes
- Contact lenses including several spares
- Camera and zoom lens
Also:
We are bringing assorted toiletries. I purchased bar soap versions of shampoo, face soap, body soap, and shaving soap. I also purchased tooth powder. All to avoid the hassle of declaring it through security. The women each have a quart-sized bag for liquid items including, makeup, saline solution, sunscreen, etc. I packed a small first aid kit, using a plastic travel soap dish to contain it, in addition to necessary medications, vitamins and pain relievers. We have an electrical adapter, various cords and chargers, a cable lock and suitcase locks. I purchased a travel clothesline and laundry detergent that come in the form of sheets.
All of this fits into our new Nomatic travel bags that meet any and all airline carry-on luggage requirements. Hubby’s bag weighs in at 22 pounds even. Reece’s, bag weighs in at 18.5 lbs. and my bag weighs in 19 lbs.
So tell me what you think … did I forget to pack anything that is an absolute must?
Cheers!
Teresa